Retard switch



March 26, 1935. 5, HARTZE| 7 1,995,541

RETARD SWITCH Filed June 18, 1931 (772049 I r Samuel 4. lfiu'lzelPatented Mar. 26, 1935 PATENT OFFlCE 1,995,541 RETARD swi'rcn Samuel A.Hartzcll, Chicago, Ill., assignor of onehalf to W. 0. Duncan, Chicago,Ill.

Application June 18, 1931, Serial No. 545,294

1 Claim.

My invention relates to electrical apparatus and has special referenceto improvements in electrical contact making devices, wherein theconducting terminals or electrodes at which the electrical 5 contactmaking" and breaking operations are ef- Iected are enclosed in acontainer which also contains a compact and coherent body of currentconducting fluid through the agency of which the said electrodes arebrought into electrical conducting relation with one another.

My present invention relates particularly to electrical contact makingor electrical switching devices of the character described, which areadapted for commercial operations and which are particularly adapted tomake and break contact witha retarded or delayed action.

The principal object 01' my invention is to provide an improved mercuryswitch mechanism having means therein for providing a delayed contactclosing or opening action.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved switchmechanism of this type that may be conveniently adapted to open andclose the contacts within any desired lapse of time.

A further object oi the invention is to provide an improved type ofretard switch mechanism employing mercury as a conducting medium to.connect the electric contacts therein.

A further object is to provide an improved re- 30 tard switch havingmeans therein for making a delayed connection, between a pair ofelectrodes and a quick instantaneous break therebetween.

Other objects and advantages will be more clearly understood from thefollowing description wherein;

Fig. 1 is a lengthwise sectional view of a form of switch embodying myinvention and in which a retarded action is accomplished in closing thecircuit and an instantaneous break is. accomplished in opening thecircuit, showing the switch in one extreme position; and

Fig. 2 is a view similar .to Figure 1, showing the switch in its otherextreme position.

In the form of my invention shown by way 01' example, a glass containeris suitably secured, midway of its length; in a clamp 55 pivoted at 68to turn on an axis extending transversely of this container. Thecontainer comprises chambers 59 and 60 connected by a restricted timingpassageway 88 and an unrestricted passageway 89. with this construction,as can readily be seen from the two positions of the switch shown in 1and 2, tilting of the switch from the position shown in Fig. 1 to theposition shown in Fig. 2will causethemercuryMtoinstantlyflow fromchamber 59 to chamber 60 thereby making a quick break between theelectrodes 63 and 64 projecting into chamber 59. This is accomplished bythe particular formation of the container walls whereby the mercury isdirected through the en larged conduit 89. When the, switch is tiltedinto an on position, to close a circuit including the electrodes 63' and64, such as it assumes in Fig. 1, it can be seen that the body ofmercury will flow through therestricted timing passageway 88 therebygiving the desired retarded action in the closing of the circuit. Inorder to avoid the possibility of any of the mercury flowing throughpassageway 89, in tilting the switch to such on" position, anoverhanging lip formation 89' is provided at the end of the passageway89 in chamber 60. To assist in directing a return flow of the mercuryfrom chamber 59 to chamber 60, when the switch is tilted to an offposition, the passageway is turned abruptly downwardly as clearly shownat 88. This is for the purpose of preventing, to a great extent, thereturn of any mercury through the passageway 88, and necessarilydirecting the mercury through passageway 89. This switch is particularlyvaluable in circuits where a retarded making and a quick breaking aredesired.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of myinvention, I desire it to be understood that I contemplate any changesand modifications that may be made in the construction thereof and whichfall within the scope of the appended claim. a

What I claim is:

In a circuit controlling device of the class described, a containercomprising an electrode chamber, an electrode therein, a receivingchamber above the electrode chamber in the circuit closing position ofthe device, a member defining a relatively free return passageway andextending from the upper part of the electrode chamber into thereceiving chamber above the bottom of the latter to define amercurytrap, a body of mercury adapted to be retained in said trap with itslevel below the top of said passageway, a member defining a restricted*timing passageway extending from the lower part of the trap to saidelectrode chamber for returning the mercury from the receiving chamberto the electrode chamber to close the circuit after an interval of timefollowing the initiation of flow from the trap to the electrode chamber,said device being adapted to be tilted to bring the electrode chamberabove the receiving chamber.

SAMUEL A. HARTZEIL.

